The present invention relates generally to a unique and novel method and apparatus for the high speed dispensing of all beverages, and particularly carbonated beverages. More particularly, the major elements of the apparatus include tubing connected at one end to a beverage supply in the form of a pressurized container such as a beer keg (or pumped flow source of liquid beverage) and at the other end to a positive bottom shut-off filling nozzle, a main flow control valve coupled to the tubing, a pressure control valve downstream of the main flow control valve and associated with the filling nozzle via a nozzle pressure control port fluid line, and requisite electronic controller and actuators to establish a dispenser operating sequence. In addition, a heat exchanger may be disposed upstream of the positive bottom shut-off filling nozzle.
The dispensing of beer for public and consumption is a ubiquitous activity. The dispensing of other carbonated and still beverages is equally widespread. In the particular case of draft beers and carbonated beverages in general, numerous problems and limitations associated with known dispensing systems are well documented.
A first limitation of known types is the control of foaming within the fluid flow pathway as a result of the rate of flow and associated pressure changes within a carbonated beverage or beer dispensing apparatus. It is well understood that the flow rate and pressure directly correlate and that drops in pressure beyond a defined magnitude or rate cause dissolved gases (typically carbon dioxide) in a sparkling beverage to leave solution and enter gas phase. This physical phenomenon is variously referred to in the beverage domain as foaming, blooming, breakout, out gassing, or foam out.
A second limitation of known systems is the control of foaming as a result of the physical interaction of the beer or carbonated beverage with the vessel into which it is dispensed. For example, it is well understood that the degree of foaming that occurs during the pouring of a draft beer increases with increasing flow rates into the cup, glass, or pitcher, or any other vessel. The excessive foaming that may occur as a draft beer is flowed into a drinking vessel is increased as a function of the turbulence and trauma directly associated with flow rate and foam formation is further increased by the entrainment of air into the beer as a function of such flow induced agitation. This foam event associated with high flow rates into the serving vessel is variously referred to as foaming, frothing or fobbing. In all cases of foam associated dispensing problems, the general concept that foam makes more foam is valid for understanding such fluids behavior.
The consequences of excessive foaming of carbonated beverages and draft beer from all causes in known systems are so severe as to limit and slow dispense flow rates. This, in turn, results in protracted and lengthened dispense times. This problem is particularly pervasive and notable in the case of draft beer, where lagers, ales, stouts and all other styles exhibit excessive foaming problems on a frequent basis, and are filled slowly into vessels as a matter of preferred practice. The inability of beverage dispense designs of known type to dispense carbonated drinks and draft beers at high speeds carries substantial penalties. It results in an inefficient serving environment where prompt service is demanded or desired. It slows the rate at which beverages can be served, impairing cash flow and return on installed equipment and facility investment. It compromises drink quality by forcing the pre-service dispensing of draft beers to meet peak demand in venues of high periodic demand such as sports arenas and stadiums.
It is also important to note that dispensing systems of know design and in common usage cannot dispense on a dose or portion controlled basis because of the excessive and variable foam problem. Thus, the economic and quality benefits of portion controlled dosing are not available to the consumer or the vendor. This forces costs up for the consumer and profits down for the vendor.
In one recent study of draft beer dispensing at a National Football League stadium (US) it was observed that the absolute dispense time or absolute dose time, the time from start of beer flow to end of beer flow, into a 20 ounce plastic serving cup varied from 15 to 20 seconds. This provides some perspective on the limitations faced in providing the thousands of draft beer servings which may be demanded in the space of a 15 to 30 minute sports intermission period. Clearly, dispenser devices of known type present severe limitations in design and practice to the high speed dispensing of beverages.
Numerous designs have been set forth in the prior art for the specific purpose of improving the speed and dispensing characteristics of draft beer and other carbonated beverages. Vetrano (U.S. Pat. No. 2,450,315) teaches a beer faucet with a tubular portion with a bottom plug having a conical valve seat, an operating rod with guide spiders within the tubular portion and a ball valve shut-off fitted to the rod thus providing a bottom shut-off filling nozzle. Filling with the nozzle at the bottom of the glass is shown and a first gentle and second fast flow rate are provided for, but operation is manual and speed of fill, amount of foam and amount of pour are dependent upon the technique and skill of the bartender. Vetrano is silent regarding any other aspects, methods or apparatus associated with the dispensing apparatus.
In UK Patent Application GB 2,283,299 A, Rawling discloses three embodiments of a beverage dispenser valve system. Each embodiment provides for manual dispensing without portion control. Each device does provide for variable flow rate control based on a variable flow area arrangement. Also provided is a gas trap designed to collect gas bubbles at the point of dispense and manually introduce them as desired into the beverage being served in order to cause the formation or addition of a foam head or fob. In one version a sealed dome is fitted at the filling tap for the purpose of trapping or accumulating gas bubbles emerging from the beverage, thus to reduce frothing or foaming of the beverage. The dome is transparent and thus the bartender can determine when it is full and manually purge it through the filling tap as desired. Rawling does not disclose any bottom or subsurface filling structure or method.
In European Patent Application EP 0,861,801 A1, James discloses a bottom shut-off filling nozzle-valve for the manual dispensing of beverages. The device is particularly intended to reduce the time taken to dispense a carbonated beverage such as a lager. The device consists of a long spout with a bottom sealing valve element, designed to be placed at the bottom of the vessel into which the beverage is dispensed and to remain below the level of the beverage as it is dispensed. The spout has an external centering structure at its tip to keep the valve generally coaxial with the spout. James teaches a higher flow rate of dispense without excessive foam formation by reducing the velocity of flow into the vessel with vertical flow in the nozzle being gradually altered to horizontal flow into the cup, the reduced velocity causing less agitation and thus less liberation of gas. James does not disclose variable flow rate capability and the filling valve sees the pressure applied to or by the beverage at all times.
Nelson (U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,363) teaches a carbonated beverage dispenser designed for rapid dispensing on a defined dose basis consisting of an elevated and liquid level controlled tank holding beverage at atmospheric pressure such that timed flow from the tank into a vessel defines a dose. Flow from the tank is through a long nozzle with a rod operated conical bottom shut-off designed for bottom-up subsurface filling of a vessel. The tank is chilled to maintain the beverage at a desired temperature. The nozzle actuator is controlled electronically to define a desired dose size. The system is equipped with a clean-in-place sanitizing apparatus.
Nelson does not teach method or apparatus to alter dispensing flow rate, the nature of reservoir replenishment valve, nature of the control computer, ability to prevent loss of carbonation or sparkle in the beverage held at atmospheric pressure for extended periods, means to alter or define or calibrate the desired amount of foam associated with a particular beverage, actuation speeds or motion characteristics of the filling nozzle, or means and method to assure that the reservoir beverage supply flow rate equals or exceeds the takeaway rate as a means of assuring continuous dispenser operating capability without depletion of available beverage in the reservoir.
It is a primary object of the present invention to overcome the numerous disadvantages and limitations, as set forth above, of presently known beverage dispense methods and devices.
More particularly, the primary objects of the present invention include:
1. To disclose a unique and novel beverage dispenser apparatus where the fluid flow pathway is hydraulic and at an essentially uniform rack pressure when dispensing is not occurring, the rack pressure being the pressure applied to the beverage supply.
2. To disclose a unique and novel beverage dispensing method where the pressure in the dispensing nozzle is actively lowered, under electronic control, from an essentially uniform rack pressure to a pressure at or near atmospheric pressure just prior to the start of a dispensing cycle.
3. To disclose a unique and novel method and apparatus for priming or packing the disclosed beverage dispensing system, such that a hydraulic condition is established quickly and efficiently with a minimal loss of beverage and minimal generation of foam.
4. To disclose a unique and novel method and apparatus, termed a watchdog timer, for eliminating foam or gas in the fluid flow pathway of the dispenser as it accumulates or generates over an electronically definable period of dispenser inactivity.
5. To disclose unique and novel methods and apparatus for establishing a defined amount of foam in the dispenser fluid flow pathway just prior to a dispense cycle such that a specified and desired amount of foam can be repeatably and automatically created in a successive series of dispensed drinks.
6. To disclose a unique and novel valve arrangement and valve control sequence which eliminates the problems of excessive foaming associated with high speed dispensing of carbonated and sparkling beverages of all types in a hydraulic beverage dispense system.
7. To disclose unique and novel filling nozzles which eliminate large areas or pockets for gas or foam to become trapped.
8. To disclose unique and novel filling nozzles which provide means to remove small quantities of trapped foam or gas on an active control basis.
9. To disclose a beverage dispenser method and apparatus wherein the speed and motion control and motion characteristics of the filling nozzles are controllable and manipulated and can be empirically demonstrated to alter and influence and control the dosing characteristics of the system particularly with regard to amount of foaming and dosing set point stability and repeatability.
10. To disclose beverage filling nozzles which are unique and novel with respect to means and methods to reduce internal nozzle volume while preserving low velocity, high speed dispensing capabilities.
11. To disclose a unique and novel dispensing method and apparatus capable of filling a 20 ounce plastic drink cup with a wide variety of draft beers in an absolute dose time, as defined above, in 2.5 seconds or less, with an electronically definable and controllable amount of foam.
12. To disclose the unique and novel use of precise fast-acting pinch valves for control of flows and pressures within the preferred embodiments of the beverage dispensing system.
13. To disclose a unique and novel beverage dispenser apparatus where the flow rate or pressure of a beverage moving hydraulically through the fluid flow pathway can be widely and dynamically varied by electronic control of a true digital pressure control apparatus defining motive force pressure at the beverage keg or any other beverage supply source container.
14. To disclose a unique and novel beverage dispenser apparatus where the flow rate or pressure of a beverage moving hydraulically through the fluid flow pathway can be widely and dynamically varied through the use and electronic control of a novel long axis non-invasive progressively restrictive flow control apparatus, the several embodiments of the flow control apparatus being the subject of a separate patent specification.
15. To disclose a unique and novel beverage dispenser apparatus where the flow rate or pressure of a beverage moving hydraulically through the fluid flow pathway can be widely and dynamically varied through the use and electronic control of a positive rotary displacement pump.
16. To disclose a unique and novel beverage dispensing apparatus where the reduced pressure in the fluid flow pathway during dispensing is rapidly restored to rack pressure at the end of a dispensing cycle through the use of an electronically controlled valve sequence.
17. To disclose a unique and novel beverage dispensing apparatus where a carbonated beverage can be held for long periods of time within the fluid flow pathway without change in character or deterioration in quality, by virtue of being held at rack pressure.
18. To disclose a unique and novel beverage dispensing system where the worst case delay between successive dispensing cycles is one second or less, and where the apparatus can execute dispense cycles indefinitely with this minimal delay period, dependent only upon the availability of a bulk supply of beverage to the systems.
19. To disclose a unique and novel beverage dispensing system in which the optimal operating parameters for a particular specific beverage, including flow rate, operating pressure, pressure control intervals and sequences, dose time, dispensing temperature, filling nozzle motions and speeds, priming flow time, and flow profiling data during dispensing can be grouped as a machine setup or recipe and entered into the machine electronic controller on a non-volatile basis such that it may be recalled in a display at any time among many other recipes and utilized to electronically configure the machine for operation as desired.
20. To disclose a unique and novel dispensing system wherein the filling nozzle can be automatically lowered into a vessel prior to a dispense cycle and held near the bottom of the cup for a defined period during the dispense cycle, and raised out of the vessel at a desired rate, all nozzle articulations being under electronic control via the dispenser controller.
21. To disclose a unique and novel dispensing method and apparatus wherein the flow rate of the beverage during the dispensing cycle can be electronically profiled to compress or reduce the dose time to a minimum interval while allowing dispensing of foamy or carbonated beverages with a minimal but programmable amount of foam to meet a desired presentation criteria.
22. To disclose a unique and novel beverage dispensing apparatus wherein a defined portion or dose is established by electronic control of flow time at a defined pressure or pressures, and in which it can be empirically demonstrated that dose set point stability and repeatability is dependent upon the unique ability of the invention to manipulate and control pressures and flows in a repeatable manner and sequence with each successive dose cycle.
23. To disclose a unique and novel beverage dispensing apparatus in which the beverage pressure in the filling nozzle may be reduced below rack pressure just prior to the filling cycle by increasing the fluid flow pathway or lumen volume through the opening or decompression of a partially compressed but not occluded flexible tube installed in the nozzle pressure control port fluid line.
24. To disclose a unique and novel beverage dispensing apparatus in which the flow and pressure control pinch valves can be shown to be particularly suitable for the flow and pressure control of carbonated beverage, and especially beer, because the pressure drop across the valve devices is very low due to the characteristic full opening flow pathway through the valves, and because of the fast opening and closing action of the valve devices, both properties serving to allow on-off valving action without inducing foaming of the beer.
25. To disclose a unique and novel beverage dispensing apparatus in which the flow and pressure control pinch valves preferably utilized provide inherently non-invasive and sanitary operation within the dispenser fluid flow pathway, the valves providing straight through and seamless construction, free of crevices or pockets.
26. To disclose a unique and novel beverage dispenser in which the priming or packing sequence upon system start-up or beverage source changeover can be electronically controlled and automatic in nature such that a minimal quantity of beverage is lost to the start-up process, and in which the priming process is carried out in an efficient and minimal amount of time, and in which a distinct and unique set of priming parameters can be defined for each unique beverage type and electronically stored in association with the electronically defined dispensing parameters for the particular beverage.
27. To disclose a unique and novel beverage dispenser in which the full open position of the filling nozzle is sensed or encoded such that a closed loop control condition is established, thus insuring that beverage flow into a vessel cannot occur until a correct open nozzle condition is assured; nozzle open encoding providing a guarantee of minimal delay for beverage flow to be initiated thus minimizing dispensing time and eliminating gravity mediated beverage fallout from the nozzle and consequent air entry into the nozzle thus further minimizing beverage foaming; nozzle open encoding providing a safety assurance that high speed flow of beverage cannot ensue from a partially open nozzle, thus protecting the dispenser operator; nozzle open encoding providing an empirically demonstrable improvement in filling dose set point accuracy and stability.
28. To disclose a unique and novel beverage dispenser in which the fluid flow pathway has been particularly designed to minimize foaming, by means including the elimination of threaded fittings and connectors, the use of large diameter flow tubes and conduits, the use of smooth and gradual transitions in fluid flow pathway sizes, the use of smooth bore sanitary fittings and connectors, and the elimination of sharp bend elbows in favor of large radius sweep ells.
29. To disclose a unique and novel beverage dispenser in which the exterior surfaces of the nozzle fill tube are maintained in a clean and sanitary condition for extended operating periods by the provision for and use of one or more ozone generators positioned adjacent to but apart from the nozzle such that the nozzle fill tube is periodically or continuously exposed to a low concentration of ozone gas, thus greatly reducing the rate of bacterial growth on the nozzle shank or tube.
30. To disclose a unique and novel beverage dispenser in which the electronic control design allows extensive alarm diagnostic and supervisory functions including alarms such as nozzle fail to open, low or no beverage condition, low gas pressure, high gas pressure, pressure control valve fail to cycle, main flow control valve fail to operate, improper product temperature, low mains voltage, and low battery voltage in portable systems; including annunciation of maintenance intervals, sanitation intervals, inspection intervals, inventory control data and functional status.
31. To disclose a unique and novel beverage dispenser in which the electronic controller contains one or more clean-in-place (CIP) routines or sequences for automatic sanitizing of the system fluid flow pathway.
32. To disclose a unique and novel beverage dispenser in which the electronic controller can optionally be linked in a network array such that the device can be addressed from a remote mode for data retrieval; so that the machine can be remotely setup on a selected beverage; so that the machine can provide status polling; and so that the machine can be accessed for remote diagnosis of fault conditions.
33. To disclose a unique and novel beverage dispenser in which the small quantity of foam or liquid beverage removed from the fluid flow pathway by the brief opening of the pressure control valve prior to each dispense cycle is connected into the hollow operator rod connecting to the nozzle plug and through the plug and thus into the vessel receiving the beverage dose.
34. To disclose a unique and novel beverage dispenser in which the nozzle plug associated with the positive bottom shut-off filling nozzle can open inward to allow liquid flow as well as outward.
35. To disclose a unique and novel beverage dispenser in which filling nozzles of different lengths and diameters can readily and interchangeably be fitted to the system, thus enhancing the flexibility and versatility of the invention with a broad range of beverage vessel shapes and sizes.
36. To disclose a unique and novel beverage dispenser in which a start fill delay time may be entered into the dispensing sequence after the filling nozzle has been read as open by the nozzle open sensor; the start fill delay allowing further control over the amount of foam created in the vessel being filled.
37. To disclose a unique and novel beverage dispensing apparatus in which the amount of beverage flow required to prime or pack the fluid flow pathway can be electronically defined.
38. To disclose a unique and novel beverage dispensing apparatus in which the dispensing or flow time required to define and to maintain a desired beverage dose or dispensed volume can be automatically and electronically varied as a function of varying beverage supply pressure.
The foregoing objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent after a consideration of the following detailed description taken on conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which differing forms of this invention are illustrated.